1. Technical Field
The present system relates to electrical connector assemblies and more specifically to lighted connector assemblies having a connector and a light guide that illuminates a connector and a separate receptacle to aid in locating the connector in the receptacle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical connector assemblies are used for a multitude of purposes. Universal Serial Bus (USB) electrical connector assemblies, for example, permit communication between a computer and electrical devices. USB is an external computer interface industrial standard that defines the communication protocols, cables and connectors that enables such communication between devices. Typically, a USB receptacle, which is a male receiving portion, mounts to a computer or other device for receiving a USB connector or plug of an electrical connector assembly. USB devices, for example, may be connected to a USB receptacle of a computer using a USB cable having two terminal ends with USB plugs inserted into the USB receptacles of the computer and electrical device.
Most computers today include multiple USB receptacles for connecting USB devices such as PDAs, cellular phones and video game consoles, and for connecting computer peripherals to permit communication between the computer and printers, scanners, keyboards, pointing devices, and external hard drives. USB receptacles also permit communication between computers and mass storage devices, often referred to as a flash drive or a thumb drive, for storing large quantities of data. Even certain LED, Plasma and LCD televisions now include multiple USB receptacles.
USB cabling has eliminated the need for a separate power charger for a portable device since power is provided from the computer to the device by the USB cable. Some cable connectors include lights, which indicate when power is received from the computer. Thus, one knows when the USB cable is successfully connected to the computer. However, since power is not provided until after the USB cable is plugged into the receptacle, this light cannot be used to illuminate the USB receptacle when inserting the connector into the receptacle. Since USB receptacles are small and often in discrete locations that are not well-lit, many find it difficult to align and insert connectors into receptacles. Further, because it is difficult to see the receptacle receiving the connector, it is easy to insert the connector into a wrong-sized receptacle or misalign the connector and receptacle, thereby bending the connector or damaging the pins inside the connector and receptacle.
What is needed, then, is an electrical connector assembly that emits light to substantially illuminate the connector and corresponding receptacles to facilitate the interconnection of the connector and receptacle. Also needed is a lighted electrical connector assembly that is configured to attach to a preexisting USB connector. The need also exists for a battery powered electrical connector assembly capable of emitting light from a terminal end of the housing to substantially illuminate the connector and corresponding receptacle when power from the computer is not yet available.